Annie: A Bride For The Farmhand - A Clean Historical Western Romance (Stewart House Brides Book 3)

by Charity Phillips

  Laura told him how beautiful it was and he changed the subject.

  “Obviously, it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to stay in the same house with a man you’re not yet married to,” Kenneth told Laura as he escorted her towards the main house. “That’s why I’ve made sure that the small guest house out back has been arranged in a fashion I hope you might deem acceptable.”

  “I’m sure that it is adequate,” Laura responded.

  “Good. If there are additions you need made, let me know and I’ll see to them.”

  He led her inside the house and allowed her to look around. “There are three bedrooms upstairs as well as a wash room. One of them is mine; you may choose the other as you prefer.”

  Laura nodded and didn’t think it was odd at all that she would have a room separate even after they were married. After all, this was a marriage of convenience, nothing more.

  “And here is the living room.” He gestured to the room surrounding them. It was large and open, with several chairs set up for seating around a fireplace. There was also a coffee table and a writing desk. Mr. Hall gestured towards a hall which led towards the back of the house. “That leads to the kitchen, which will be on your left, and my gun room is on the right. At the very back is the mud room.”

  Laura’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Gun room?”

  “Yes. I have a large collection, mostly shotguns and rifles to be used for hunting. Some are also for self-defense and I might take them into town with me from time to time. Does this unsettle you, Miss Masterson?”

  Laura quickly shook her head. “No, not at all. I’m familiar with rifles myself. I worked for the New Haven Arms Company during the war.”

  It was Mr. Hall’s turn to look surprised. “Well, then you know they’re not toys. I should make sure you know how to use them should the need arise.”

  Laura didn’t argue, though she couldn’t imagine a single instance in which she might have cause to use a gun.

  ****

  The wedding was set for three weeks from the time Laura arrived. She’d been there for two already and anticipated that the last week would arrive rather quickly. It didn’t bother her as she had once worried it might. Thoughts of Elias happened still, but they were fewer and far between. Days of long, hard work helped to keep her mind clear and focused on her present situation.

  The chores weren’t overly difficult, though they took up most of her time. She made each meal for Kenneth, which they would take together, and made a point to feed what animals he had as well as clean out the stalls and work in the small garden he had out back. Laura also took care of the house and most of the washing. Kenneth spent most of his time in the fields, tending to them until he was nearly broken exhausted by the time he returned late in the evening. His determined hard work was the reason that Laura couldn’t bring herself to begrudge him her own work. Though there would never be love between them, she reasoned that there could be partnership and respect. She found that both were coming easily enough, at least on her part.

  One day, Kenneth stopped Laura as she was clearing away the plates after their breakfast. They had gotten a later start than usual thanks to the cloudy sky and the late work the night before. Neither of them had meant to sleep so late, and Laura had felt so embarrassed when they had met in the kitchen for breakfast. But Kenneth—he’d grown tired of being called Mr. Hall very quickly—had slept late, too, so neither felt fault with the other.

  “I think much of the day will be a wash, don’t you?” Kenneth told her, pushing back his own chair as she took the last of the plates to the sink where she could wash.

  “What do you mean?” she asked as she began to scrape them clean.

  He came over towards her, leaning against the counter and looking at her closely. “We’ve slept late and are already behind for the day. But I think maybe that means nothing too pressing had to be done today.”

  She glanced over at him and caught him staring at her with those bright green eyes. She found them lighter than she expected and almost lovely, though they rarely found time to focus too intently on her. “I would think that means we should have to work twice as hard today?”

  She turned back to her dishes, beginning to wash them in the cool water, but out of the corner of her eye she caught his smile.

  “No, that’s for tomorrow,” he told her, just a hint of teasing in his tone.

  “I see. Then what is for today?”

  He reached for her then, pulling her hands from the water so that he could turn her to look at him. She was thoroughly surprised by the touch; they were careful still around one another. But she didn’t protest or pull away, she just let him turn her.

  “I think today is the day we make sure you know how to use those guns in there.”

  Today was apparently full of surprises. He escorted her out back to the wooden fence along his property. There were several bottles set along top of the fence and they looked a little worse for wear. Kenneth had brought out one of the rifles from his gun room: a smaller, lighter gun that even Laura could lift without difficulty. He picked it specifically so that a woman might be able to shoot it more easily, he told her.

  “Now, a gun’s not a toy,” he explained to her, showing her the barrel, the grip, and the chamber where she could load another round. “It’s a dangerous thing and it’s important to treat it with respect.”

  Laura nodded to show that she was listening to him.

  He handed her the gun and she held it awkwardly. She wasn’t completely inept with a gun, having helped to put so many together not very long ago, but she had little to no cause to shoot them.

  “You’re going to want to fit the stock against your shoulder. Brace it there so that you can hold it steady when you fire,” Kenneth told her, helping her to maneuver the gun. She held her breath as his hands carefully held the gun, settling it against her small shoulder for her, then traveling to her back. “Your free hand here is going to want to stabilize the muzzle by gripping the barrel here.” He brought her hand farther down the barrel and she felt her heart jump at the touch. “Keep it steady; your aim will be truer.”

  His voice had grown softer as he spoke to her. His hands never lingered where they shouldn’t and touched her only in instruction, but she couldn’t deny that the touch was strangely sweet to her. In this one day, he had touched her more than the last two weeks combined. She didn’t know why that was important, couldn’t say what had shifted, but she felt that it had.

  He came to stand behind her, his hands slipping away from her completely, but she could feel his warm breath across her skin. “Take aim and don’t be afraid of the shot. It’ll be loud, it’ll be harsh, and it’ll jerk in your hands, but don’t be afraid of it.”

  She did as she was instructed and squeezed the trigger until she felt it click. The boom was louder than she expected, like a small explosion going off inside her own ear, but she did her best not to startle at it. The gun pressed harshly against her shoulder, but she only grunted against it once, then lowered her gun to see where she had shot. She hadn’t hit anything at all.

  Her shoulders slumped a little and she couldn’t deny that she was dismayed that her aim had been so poor already.

  Kenneth laughed a little at her expression. “Don’t you worry, darling. No one hits a darn thing on their first try.”

  He was smiling when she looked up at him and she found that it was contagious—but more importantly, that she liked it.

  They spent the rest of the morning shooting and stopped only for lunch. Afterwards, Laura asked if they might practice more, but Kenneth told her that already her shoulder would be terribly sore. She was disappointed, but when he suggested that she go with him into town instead—to possibly pick up a gun more suited to her—she perked up immediately.

  Laura hadn’t realized how starved for affection she was until he sent just a little of it her way.

  It took several hours to get to and from town, but Laura was pleased just the same with their
trip. They had picked up a Winchester .22 single barrel rifle for her. It was smaller than anything Kenneth had for his own personal use and would be a much better fit for Laura, he said. She didn’t protest the purchase, though she told him that it was unnecessary.

  “I’ll not have you living here unprotected,” he told her gruffly and paid the man for the gun.

  When Laura settled in for the night, she looked over at the gun fondly, thinking that Kenneth might be the sort of man whom she could grow to enjoy spending her time with. And then, laughing a little to herself, she realized that he already was that man and she already did enjoy her time with him.

  ****

  Laura awoke to the noise. It was still very early morning, not yet light outside, but leaning towards it. It was mostly still gray and chilly. She grabbed her woven shawl and threw it about her shoulders over her nightgown, clutching it close at her breast. For a moment, everything was still again and she wondered if she hadn’t imagined the whole thing. Something to her left sounded, causing Laura to jerk that way. It was still too dim to see.

  Still clutching her shawl, she reached for the candle set into the silver holder and struck a match to light it. The little light illuminated the inside of the small house enough for her to see, but there was nothing out of place. She heard the sound again and realized that it wasn’t coming from inside. At least, not inside of their house.

  “Kenneth,” she murmured as worry pinched at her brow. Was he making all that noise? She hoped so; it sounded like the door slamming and a vase, maybe, shattering. That didn’t seem like something Kenneth would do.

  Uncertainty and worry both filling her, Laura resolved herself to see what the matter was. She slipped on her boots quickly, but didn’t bother to get fully dressed. This was likely nothing and she hoped that she might return for another few minutes of sleep at least. And if not, maybe she could write another letter… She grabbed the gun that leaned against the wall beside the door, thankful now that Kenneth had insisted she keep it for protection. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she opened the door and looked towards the main house. There was a light on inside, and after a moment, she heard a sound that might be boots scuffling along the wooden floor. A moment later, there were shouts and then a heavy thump, all muffled thanks to the walls.

  Now more certain than not that this was not merely Kenneth getting ready early that morning, Laura hurried towards the window, hoping to see what was going on before she simply stormed inside. That was when she caught sight of them.

  Two men, dirty and ugly from the wear of the West, each of them holding a gun. A pistol, not the kind you would use to hunt animals, but the kind you use to—

  “Oh, Kenneth!” She spotted him slumped over heavily in a chair. One of the men had knelt down and was looping rope around Kenneth’s torso and shoulders, then his feet so that he was strapped securely to the chair. His head rolled slightly, heavily, which was a relief to Laura; at least he was alive. The man who had the gun on him as the other tied him up said something, but Laura couldn’t hear it. It might have been instructions, but it was impossible to say.

  Trembling with fear, Laura wondered what she should do. It was several hours’ ride back into town to get the sheriff and then another long ride back with him. Kenneth was alive and mostly well now, but there was no guarantee how long that might last. Did they intend to kill him, or might they let him go after they robbed him blind? She realized that robbing was their goal when the man finished binding Kenneth to the chair. That was when the pair argued for a moment amongst themselves, then split up. One went to the second floor while the other headed towards the kitchen and the side of the house. They were carrying bags and the one that went towards the kitchen swiped several pieces of silver on one of the tables as he passed it, shoving them down into his bag. Yes, they were most definitely there to rob Kenneth.

  She bit her lip nervously and realized that she still had the lit candle in her hand only because the light was shaking so badly that it flickered and cast strange shadows. She blew it out quickly, not wanting to draw attention to herself, then hunched down lower so that she couldn’t be seen through the window. She needed a moment to think—what was she to do?

  They had both left Kenneth unattended, but she could see that it wasn’t incautious of them. It was clear that he wasn’t getting free on his own and there wasn’t supposed to be anyone else around, right?

  She hoped they didn’t know that she was here, living out in the back house.

  She rose up slightly to check through the window again; no sign of the bandits. Her decision was made when she noticed Kenneth shift again. He seemed livelier now, but only just. His head lolled slightly to the side as he strained to lift it, but he must have taken a harsh blow, because he seemed unable to snap himself out of it. With a deep breath, she set down the candle below the window and gripped the rifle with both hands. She was shaking badly and didn’t think she’d be capable of shooting anything at all, much less a man, but she had to do something to save Kenneth and this was her only means of protection.

  She headed around towards the back of the house, trying to be as quiet as possible in the hopes of remaining both unseen and unheard. When she came to the back door, she felt around her neck for the chain where the key hung. She managed to get it out and unlock the door, then held her breath because the sound of the lock clicking was so loud. When nothing seemed to shift and no one came running towards her, she steeled herself. She shoved the door open as carefully as possible, trying her best to be quiet. Finally, it opened to reveal the mud room. Kenneth’s boots were set by the door, caked from days’ and weeks’ and probably years’ worth of mud. There was a coat hanging nearby, too, as well as a shirt that needed mending. Laura had an errant thought that she needed to make time to do that tomorrow. He needed better kept clothing.

  Laura walked into the house and moved towards the hall. She would have to pass the kitchen to reach the living room where Kenneth was tied up and that meant she’d have to sneak past the man riffling through there. Fear snaked its way around her heart and her limbs, making the shaking all the worse, but she ignored it. She had to save Kenneth.

  Pushing her fear aside, she made her way down the hall, making a conscious effort to be as quiet as humanly possible. She still felt as though she was being terribly loud, but she knew that it was only her fear and her heightened senses that left her feeling that way.

  She came up to the doorway that led into the kitchen and paused. She could hear the man riffling through Kenneth’s things and anger momentarily filled her; how dare he? She shoved that aside, too, and took a deep breath. She had to rush past that opening and make it into the living room undetected or there was no hope for either Kenneth or herself. Gripping the barrel of the rifle tightly, Laura held her breath as she moved as quickly and as quietly as she could across the open doorway to the other side. Once she passed it, she flattened herself against the wall, waiting and listening. There was a pause in the sounds coming from the kitchen; she held her breath. The seconds seemed to drag for forever and briefly Laura was certain she was caught. She was dead. But then the sound resumed as though nothing at all had happened.

  Taking in a soft, shaky breath, Laura quietly moved further down the hall to the living room. When she got there, she glanced up the stairs towards the second man, but saw nothing; he must have been in one of the rooms. When she looked to Kenneth, she was relieved to see that he was sitting up now and struggling at his bindings. Her heart leapt for joy, relief swimming through her veins. She rushed to him eagerly, almost forgetting to be quiet and to be afraid. When she came around to the front of him, he was startled to see her, his green eyes wide with shock.

  “Laura! What are you doing here?”

  She set the gun to the side, leaning it against the desk that was shoved up against the wall. She began to untie him as quickly as her hands could manage, but she was shaky with fear and she kept fumbling with his bindings. “I heard something and came
to see what was the matter and oh, Kenneth! I saw you and was so scared—”

  “You shouldn’t be here!” he hissed at her.

  It was enough to cause her to pause. Hurt surged through her; even now, she wasn’t anything more than a maid to him. But then she looked up at him and saw his expression. His green eyes were swimming with worry—for her.

  “If they find you, it’ll be worse,” he whispered urgently; Laura went back to working at the knots. “God knows what they’ll do to you!”

  “I can’t leave you,” Laura demanded, putting a firmness and determination in her voice that she hadn’t truly felt in a long while.

  “You can and you will!” he argued, even as he struggled against the bindings. “I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you.”

  She shook her head. “It’s either both of us, or neither,” she told him, meeting his gaze with her own. “I’ll not leave you.”

  He stopped struggling and for a moment, time seemed to stop. He looked as though he might be lost in her eyes and Laura was certain that she might be, too, if the place and time for it weren’t so very wrong. She had to get him free so they might both escape before something really terrible happened.

  She freed the bindings about his chest and worked on one of his legs. He bent over and worked on the opposite one. When he was free, they both stood. His hands went to her shoulders and pulled her tightly against him in a hug. She melted against it, her heart swelling with the sensation that was so familiar, one she had thought she might never feel again.

  Laura would have lost herself in that moment completely if she hadn’t sensed a shift in the house. The noise had changed to silence and her eyes jerked open. She saw the man from the kitchen stepping out and for a moment, everything was completely still. Laura was aware of the rifle leaning against the desk and of how far down the hall the bandit was. She was also aware that Kenneth’s back was to the bandit; he wouldn’t see him in time. She realized that she had only moments to act before they both were dead.